Internal spinal fixation means



C. B. THOMAS Filed June 25, 1965 BY Je@ 62/ Afro/Puffs inl 64 March 29, 1966 INTERNAL sPINAL FIXATION MEANS U UM United States Patent O 3,242,922 INTERNAL SPINAL FIXATION MEANS Charles B. Thomas, 701 Pendleton St., Greenville, S.C. Fired June 2s, 196s, ser. No. 290,4s2 2 Claims. (Cl. 12S- 92) The present invention relates to an internal spinal xation, and more particularly to a rigid fixation extending upwardly from the pelvic bone to the spinal column and securable to both to support the spinal column on the pelvic bone.

It is the primary purpose of the present invention to relieve pressure from the lumbar portion of the spinal column, thereby to distract, flex and immobilize the lumbar spine. This is accomplished in the preferred embodiment of the present invention by a pair of support members mounted on opposite sides of the spinal column with base portions secu-red to the iliac crest of the pelvic bone, rigid body portions converging yupwardly from the base portions to the spinal column, and spinal column engaging portions at the upper ends of the body portions and secured to the spinal column. With this construction the load or pressure on the spinal column is transmitted through the support members'to the pelvic bone, thereby relieving pressure from the lumbar portion of the spinal column below the spinal column engaging portions.

The body portion may be of an extensible construction, such as a turnbuckle, to permit an increase or other adjustment of the spacing between the base portions and spinal column engaging portions after these portions have been secured to their respective body elements.

To permit ease of installation, the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes double pivot swivel joints at both ends of the body portions for pivotal connection of both the base portions and the spinal column engaging portions. With these swivel joint connections relative angular movement of the spinal column engaging portions with respect to theA base portions is possible during during installation of the present invention.

In the preferred embodiment the base portions and the spinal column engaging portions are secured to their respective body elements by means of spike-like elements that extend from these portions into the body elements. The spikes from the base portions extend laterally through rthe iliac crests of .the pelvic bone to tix the position of the base portions and are prevented from withdrawing from the ili-ac crests by screws or other ele-ments extending downwardly into the iliac crests from locations in the base portions above the spikes. The spikes of the spinal column engaging portions extend laterally through the spinal column and abut the opposing spinal column engaging portions to fix these portions in place. Separation of the spinal column engaging portions is prevented by means, such as bolts, secured to both portions and holding them against relative movement in spike abutting relation.

Other and further features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a diagrammatic view of the lower thoracic cage, lumbar spine and pelvic bone of a human body with the preferred embodiment of the internal spinal fixation of the present invention secured to the spinal column and the pelvic bone;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged rear elevational View of one of the pair of support members of the internal spinal fixation illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the internal spinal fixation of FIG. 1 taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational View of the upper portion of the support member of FIG. 2; and

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FIG. 5 is a side elevational View of the lower portion of the support member of FIG. 2.

The internal spinal xation 10 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrated in the figures comprises a pair of support members 12 secured to the pelvic bone 14 on opposite sides of the spinal column 16 and extending upwardly to a securement to the spinal column 16.

Each of the support members 12 has a base portion 18 mounted on the illiac crest 19 at the Itop of the pelvic bone 14. The base portion 18 is connected to a body portion 29 that extends upwardly to a spinal column engaging portion 22 secured to the spinous processes 23 of the spinal column 16.

In the embodiment illustrated the body portions 20 are in the form of turnbuckles lto provide for extension or elongation of the body portions for relief of pressure in the lumbar portion of the spinal column below the attachment of the spinal column engaging portions 22.

Each of the body portions 20 is formed with a lower half 24 having a tapped bore opening upwardly and in which is received a threaded turnbuckle rod 2S, which when rotated advances and retracts in the bore 26 of the lower half 24. The position of the rod 23 in the lower half 24 can be fixed by tightening a lower lock nut 39 at the top of the lower half 24. The turnbuckle rod 28 extends upwardly into the tapped bore 34 of the upper half 32 of the body portion 20 and is similarly rotatable therein to advance and retract and can be xed with respect thereto by tightening the upper lock nut 36.

The body portions 20 are connected to the base portions 18 and spinal column engaging portions 22 by double pivot swivel joints 38 and 48. Each lower swivel joint 38 connects the lower end of the lower half 24 of the body portion 20 to the base portion I8. The lower swivel joint 3S has a flanged lug 40 extending 4downwardly therefrom and seated for free rotation in a shouldered hole 42 in the base portion 18. The swivel joint 3S is bifurcated and receives a pivot ange 44 extending from the lower half 24 of the body portion 2t?, which flange 44 is pivotally mounted in the bifurcated swivel joint by means of a pivot pin 46. With this construction the body portion 20 can be positioned at substantially any angle with respect to the base portion l.

Each upper swivel joint 4S is substantially identical to the lower swivel joints 3S and connects the upper half 32 of a Ibody portion 2) to the spinal column engaging portions 22. The upper swivel joints 48 have anged lugs V5t) that are seated for free rotation in shouldered holes 52 in the spinal column engaging portions 22. The upper swivel joints t5 are also bifurcated to receive the pivot flange 54 extending from the upper end of the upper half 32 of the body portion 20 with the iiange S4 pivotally secured to the joint 48 by a pivot .pin 56. As a result the spinal column engaging portions 22 may be positioned at substantially any angle with respect to the body portions 2).

For attachment of the base portions 18 to the iliae crest 19, each base portion is formed with a top component 5S that can be positioned on top of an iliac crest 19 and a downwardly extending component 6@ that can be positioned against the face of the iliac crest 19. The base portions 18 are secured lto the iliac crests 19 by a plurality of spikes 62 extending laterally from the downwardly extending components 60 into the iliac crests 19. The base portions 1S are locked in place by screws 64 that lare screwed downwardly into the iliac crests 19 through holes 66 provided in the top component 58 of the base portions 1S.

The spinal column engaging portions 22 of the preferred embodiment are in the form of vertically extending plates 68 secured on opposing sides of the spinal column 16 by a plurality of staggered spikes 7i) extending laterally from the plates 63 through the spinous processes 23 with the outer tip '72 of the spikes 70 abutting the opposing plates 68. The plates 63 are locked in this spike abutting position by bolts 74 extending through slots 76 in the plates 63, with the bolts secured by nuts 78 so that the plates 68 are held together between the heads 80 of the bolts and the nuts 78. The slots 76 in the plates 65 extend vertically to permit vertical positioning of the bolts 74 in the spinous processes 23.

To attach the internal spinal fixation 10 to the body elements of a patient, the vertical plates 68 of the spinal column engaging portions 22 are first placed on opposite sides of the upper lumbar spinous processes 23. The bolts -74 are then passed through the slots 76 of one plate, through the spinous processes 23, and through the corresponding slots on the opposite plate. The nuts 7S are then placed on the bolts 74 and tightened until the spikes 7 i) pass through the spinous processes 23 and their tips 72 abut the opposing plates 68.

The base portions 13 are then placed on the iliac crests i9 and the spikes 62 driven into the pelvic bone ltr-t until the downwardly extending components 69 of the base portions 18 are against the iliac crests 25.9. The screws 64 are then screwed downwardly through the top component 58 into the iliac crest.

The turnbuckle body portions 13 are then adjusted by rotating the turnbuckle rods 28 with respect to the lower body halves 24 and upper body halves 32 to elongate the body portions 21B, increasing the spacing between the base portions 18 and spinal column engaging portions 22, and thereby relieving the pressure on the lower lumbar spinal column to provide distraction, immobilization and exion thereof.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration Ionly and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

il. An internal spinal fixation for relieving pressure in the lower lumbar portions of a spinal column in a human body comprising a pair of converging, rigid, support means adapted to be attached to and extend between the iliac crests of the pelvic bone and the spinous processes of the spinal column on each side of the spinal column to support the spinal column `on the pelvic bone; each of said pair of support means comprising an elongate rigid body means having means therein for adjusting the length thereof and including double pivot swivel joints on each end thereof, a base -means pivotally secured to one of said double pivot swivel joints on one end of said body means and adapted to be Iattached to an iliac crest of the elvic bone on opposite sides `of the spinal column, and a spinal column engaging means pivotally secured to the other of said double pivot swivel joint on the other end of said body means and adapted to be attached to the spinous processes on opposite sides of the spinal column.

2. An internal spinal fixation for relieving pressure in the lower lumbar portions of a spinal column in a human body comprising a pair of converging, rigid, support means adapted to be attached to and extend between the iliac crests of the pelvic bone and the spinous processes of the spinal column on each side of the spinal column to support the spinal column on the .pelvic bone; each of said pair of support means comprising an elongate rigid body means including double pivot swivel joints on each end thereof, a base means pivotally secured to one of said double pivot swivel joints on one. end or" said body lmeans and including spike-like elements secured thereto to adapt said base means for attachment to an iliac crest of the pelvicbone on opposite sides of the spinal column, and a spinal column engaging means secured to the other of said double pivot swivel joints on the other end of said body means and including spikedke elements secured thereto to adapt said spinal column engaging means for attachment to the spinous processes on opposite sides of the spinal column, said body means comprising adjustable, extensible turnbuckles so that said body means may be adjustably elongated to adjust the spacing between said base means and said spinal column engaging means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,702,031 2/1955 Wenger 12S- 92 FOREIGN PATENTS `59,969 9/195'4 `France. 1,037,262 91/ 1953 France.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

I, W. HINEY, IR., Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN INTERNAL SPINAL FIXATION FOR RELIEVING PRESSURE IN THE LOWER LUMBAR PORTIONS OF A SPINAL COLUMN IN A HUMAN BODY COMPRISING A PAIR OF CONVERGING, RIGID, SUPPORT MEANS ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO AND EXTEND BETWEEN THE ILIAC CRESTS OF THE PELVIC BONE AND THE SPINOUS PROCESSES OF THE SPINAL COLUMN ON EACH SIDE OF THE SPINAL COLUMN TO SUPPORT THE SPINAL COLUMN ON THE PELVIC BONE; EACH OF SAID PAIR OF SUPPORT MEANS COMPRISING AN ELONGATE RIGID BODY MEANS HAVING MEANS THEREIN FOR ADJUSTING THE LENGTH THEREOF AND INCLUDING DOUBLE PIVOT SWIVEL JOINTS ON EACH END THEREOF, A BASE MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURED TO ONE OF SAID DOUBLE PIVOT SWIVEL JOINTS ON ONE END OF SAID BODY MEANS AND ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO AN ILIAC CREST OF THE PELVIC BONE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SPINAL COLUMN, AND A SPINAL COLUMN ENGAGING MEANS PIVOTALLY SECUERD TO THE OTHER OF SAID DOUBLE PIVOT SWIVEL JOINT ON THE OTHER END OF SAID BODY MEANS AND ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED TO THE SPINOUS PROCESSES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE SPINAL COLUMN. 